QBL--Quilting by the Lake - Week One

I took a class with Rosalie Dace based on circles. I was making three 24" quilts for a challenge organized by Pat Pauly. Here are two of them since all three didn't fit on my design board.

Unfortunately (at least I think so) QBL has a new policy of no photos anywhere...not at the Quilt Show and not in class. You can take photos of others work in class --with their permission of course--but you may not post them on your blog or anywhere else. So this is it for week one. Sorry.

Bridal Shower for my Granddaughter

Last Saturday I attended a Bridal Shower for my granddaughter, Christine. It was held at my daughter Barbara's house. We began the afternoon with a cookout on their patio.

Since it was a hot afternoon after the food we opted for present opening and games in the airconditioned living room.

Dominic and the other children found the whole affair quite boring.

Yet Another Great Sewing Day at Marcia's Studio

Marcia has been working on a version of her Jet Trails series as a class sample for an online course she is taking.

Pat displayed some hand dyed shibori which she recently made and will be selling next week at QBL.

Linda was showing some hand dyed and enhanced fabric which she made recently.

And a quilt she was finishing from a Nancy Crow class a few years ago.

Jeanne was working on a table runner which was going to be a shower present.

And Bev and Nancy had to check out the drape of the quilted silk pieces which I will be selling at QBL the next two weeks.

Art Trader ---Free Online Art Magazine

The latest issue of Art Trader Magazine is online and is a free download. It's full of inspiration with lots of mixed media ideas . It really is about trading ideas, not about trading finished pieces of art. There are also tutorials in the magazine and videos on the web site. Take a look:

http://www.arttradermag.com/

Thumbstall Quilt Show, Skaneateles

I was fortunate to be able to vend at the Thumbstall Quilt Guild Show in Skaneateles last weekend. It was beautiful weather for the most part but hot the first day. I only had a few minutes to go downstairs (it was on two levels) to take a look at the quilts and garments. As usual they had a wonderful collection of over 200 quilts.

As always I had to take a close look at the garments. These are by Barbara Ackley who does fabulous work.

Nancy Bales landscape.

One of Barbara Ackley's quilts.

The vendors were spread out in the cafeteria upstairs. We had air conditioning while the Quilt Show didn't. How nice for us.

There were 12 vendors spread out in this huge space. A nice number for the size of the show.

My booth.

Another Great Day at Marcia's Studio

After a busy week camping it was time to have some fun, get some work done and catch up with Beth after her long sojurn in the Carolinas. Inspector Suki checks out the inside of one of my bags.

I had bought some silk "scarves" from a dealer I know in India. They had just arrived and I brought them in for "show and tell" They are quilted silk and I thought they were two scarves quilted together.

But they are really two yards of saris quilted together. They are wonderful colors, have a great drape and would be terrific in clothing.

I did a bit more work on the Tibetan Vest.

One of Marcia's new designs.

Camping--or was it RVing?

The day after the E.A.T. Group's visit I headed for the Buffalo area to spend a week camping (or RVing) with family. Great grandson Dominic loves to wear hats, including my straw number.

Their "camper" has two bedrooms and two TV,s and an extra outside kitchen. They park near a lovely lake.

On our second day we headed out to a flea market in a nearby town.

A spiderman hat caught Dominic's attention.

One day we decided to feed one of the large flocks of Canadian Geese on the grounds. There used to be a beaver dam here but the parks staff moved the beavers out of the park as people wanted to putt golf balls here.

This job required a Mickey Mouse hat.

Oh oh, they're getting away!

We followed them out into the lake in a paddle boat.

A stop on the swings on the way home.

On "dance night" Dominic tries a few of his own moves while waiting for the crowd to arrive.

A Visit from the E.A.T. Group

The day after my return from my trip to D.C. 7 members of the E.A.T. made their annual visit to my house for a class, Show and Tell and Lunch. I usually plan a short class as we tend to spend a longer than usual time "catching up" with each other.

This was an interesting interpretation of the bird on the left.

It was a beautiful day and after Show and Tell we order lunch from our local Chinese takeout.

On the way home the group stops at Spring Lake Fabrics.

Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA

On the last day in DC we headed for the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. Decorated wall in the entrance.

Yes, it really was a Torpedo Factory during WWII. A few years ago it was turned into an Artists Gallery and Studio . Its located on the waterfront and it is a great place to browse, purchase some interesting art, and have lunch by the water. There were a few wearable art shops but not much of any interest for me.

There was also an interesting collection of what garments hanging in the halls.

Huge animals for sale in one shop.

More clothes hanging on the first floor hallway. There were three floors.

This artist obviously had a thing for fish.

The majority of shops were more gallery than working studio.